This Scottsdale backyard houses many large boulders and sits on multiple levels, which the homeowner wanted to remain untouched. This required the designers to construct separate areas with unique, serpentine shapes to suit the topography.

Go with the flow

This Scottsdale backyard houses many large boulders and sits on multiple levels, which the homeowner wanted to remain untouched. This required the designers to construct separate areas with unique, serpentine shapes to suit the topography.

To find the perfect placement for the spa shell within the freeform deck, the designers made a cardboard template and drew the distinctive shape on the ground several times to make sure the spa nestled into the existing rocks before building its stacked stone surround.

A main goal of the design was to blend the yard with its desert surroundings. Color was a big part of that, and the designers used Turkish travertine in a diverse mocha hue to create depth and reflect the sandy setting. “One color varies in at least three different shades, some more orange or creamy or brownish,” Melinda Dalacas says.

Home free

Privacy was a big concern for the homeowners, and Dalacas and Bob Owens delivered. Because the spa sits below the level of the house as well as the pool, they were able to hide the hot tub from intruders up above.

“You can’t even tell there is a spa from the patio,” Dalacas says. “It’s tucked into the rocks, and it’s so low it won’t pop out of the landscape.” But just because the spa isn’t visible from the home doesn’t mean it’s hard to access. Shallow steps leading straight to the hot tub patio feature gentle curves that reflect the deck’s flow as well as the shape of the spa.